So Halloween is upon us, and I still can't decide if I should dress up as an emoji cat, a Disney princess, or possibly some weird combination of both, but I don't even really have time to think about that right now because my mind is too busy trying to wrap itself around a Halloween hack so absolutely incredible, I don't know how to describe it in words (but don't worry, because I'm going to try anyway) — candy corn on the cob is a thing, and it is beautiful.
You heard me. Candy corn, that controversial Halloween treat you either love, hate, or really hate, apparently has magic powers. There might not be anything special about a single kernel of candy corn hanging out by itself on Halloween, and depending on your propensity to consume mass amounts of corn syrup in one sitting, a bowl of the yellow, orange, and white stuff might sound like a terrible, sugary nightmare. But stack those bad boys one on top of the other in the shape of a circle, and you've suddenly transformed your bag of Brachs into a candy masterpiece that is, to say the least, possibly the best thing ever. Take a look for yourself:
If you're like me, you probably have a million questions right now. My brain immediately went into overdrive when a co-worker first brought candy corn on the cob to my attention. Was this the plan all along? Was this what the creators of candy corn had in mind when they dreamt up this seasonal snack in the first place, and we've just been eating it wrong this entire time? Does everyone else already know about this? Is this a Halloween prank specifically designed to make me believe anything is possible, only to set me up for devastating failure when I try to make this myself? More importantly, can I make this myself?
Fortunately, the Internet is full of answers. It seems that candy corn on the cob made its Halloween blogosphere debut a few years ago, but it's only recently started to really get the recognition it deserves:
And, from what I understand, it's ridiculously easy (like, ridiculously easy) to make. One Twitter user recommends just sticking candy corn kernels into a banana and calling it a day. But because it's Halloween, and because you're probably looking for a more thrilling sugar rush, this recipe by Instructables user CrazyClever looks even more promising. For her candy corn on the cob, she suggests using a block of sugar cookie dough as your core. Then, all you have to do is push in pieces of candy corn flat against each other in alternating rows, and voila.
Like I said — candy corn magic.
Not that there aren't other interesting ways to use candy corn on Halloween. 'Tis the season to dress up, of course, and that applies to your candy as well. So why not get creative? You can make candy corn peanut butter cups, for instance:
Or candy corn Jello shots:
(OK, so these don't actually involve real pieces of candy corn, but they are still the thing Halloween dreams are made of — thanks A Beautiful Mess).
Or candy corn cupcakes, if you're feeling a little basic:
But if you want to blow people away, candy corn on the cob is obviously the way to go. Because guys? It's awesome.
Image: dave77459 (2), Kristin Ausk/Flickr; Deliciously Yum; A Beautiful Mess;
